


It Came in Through the Dorm Room Window

by lover_of_many_things



Series: Dorm Room Window [1]
Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Carmilla AU, Cat Carmilla, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-20
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-03-08 10:21:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3205718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lover_of_many_things/pseuds/lover_of_many_things
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Carmilla was never Laura’s roommate and the Dean wasn’t making her the bait for kidnapping girls (though they are both still vampires). Laura has a bad day and takes it out on a pile of snow which accidentally coats a particular black cat. Laura feels bad and takes the cat back to her dorm where they become fast friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Came in Through the Dorm Room Window

Laura sighed, her breath visible in the cold, Styrian winter air. She had on three layers of coats, a hat, a scarf, boots, and mittens (her dad always stressed the importance of dressing warm in the winter. If she didn’t she could catch a cold, that might escalate into pneumonia, that might end up with her dying in the hospital), but the cold seemed to bite right through everything she was wearing. Being freezing only dampened her mood further than it was before as she jammed her hands into her pockets and trudged through the snow. She was pretty sure she just failed one of her Biology exams, just because she misunderstood one of the questions. She tried talking to the TA of the class, but they weren’t much help. She let out a groan of frustration and kicked a pile of snow, not caring how weird she looked to the other students (most of the students at Silas were strange in their own right).

The startled meow did catch her attention, and Laura’s eyes widened when they landed upon a now, as a result of Laura’s kick, snow covered black cat. It looked at Laura angrily, almost as if saying ‘Really!?’. Laura immediately tore her gloved hands out of her pockets and knelt down next to the cat. “I’m so sorry! I haven’t been having the best day, but I didn’t mean to bring you into it too.” Laura cautiously extended her hand out to the cat. After a moment of staring at her extended hand, it seemed to consent and rubbed its head against Laura’s hand. Laura took that as permission and gently started to sweep the snow she accidentally kicked onto the cat, off of it. “You are completely soaked now. You’re gonna freeze out here all alone!”

Laura weighed the options in her head before voicing them aloud. “Pets and animals are strictly prohibited in my dorm, but if I don’t do anything you’ll likely freeze to death.” The cat meowed and Laura looked down at it. Laura couldn’t just leave the cat to fend for its own in all of this snow. She nodded to herself when she reached her decision. She looked at the cat who was looking directly into her eyes. “I’m going to take you back to my dorm, if that’s okay with you?” Laura didn’t really know why she was asking the cat permission, but she felt that it was the appropriate thing to do with the cat looking directly at her. The cat blinked and seemed to nod before it moved forward to rub against Laura’s legs. “I guess that’s an okay then.”

Laura gingerly picked up the cat; it was surprisingly compliant. She quickened her pace back to her dorm room. Before entering her dorm she draped her scarf over the cat in order to conceal it despite a meow of protest. Laura shushed the cat. “It’s only for a minute until I get to my dorm.” Laura quickly walked up the three flights of stairs to her floor and quietly passed Perry, her floor-don and friend’s, room. Once successfully entering her room, closing and locking the door behind her, she removed the scarf and gently placed the cat onto the ground.

She removed her gloves and rubbed her hands together before delayering. Once she was down to just her clothes, she took out her favorite pair of sweat pants and a tank top. Laura glanced at the cat, but it was just looking around her room. She quickly changed into her lounging clothes; it felt strange changing with the cat in the room. She prepared a mug of cocoa for herself, and, after a beat, a small bowl of milk for the cat. Laura turned with cocoa and milk in her hand to see the cat sitting in the middle of the room watching her. For some reason she felt like she was being scrutinized. Coughing awkwardly, she placed the bowl of milk on the ground. “Sorry, I don’t really have anything else to offer unless you like grape soda and chocolate.” The cat looked directly at her for the entire explanation until she finished.

Laura took a sip of her hot cocoa and watched the cat inspect the bowl for a moment before starting to drink the milk. Once the cat became occupied with the milk, Laura made her way around the room to her computer. She considered starting the Lit paper Danny kept telling her to start, but she just wasn’t feeling it after the day she’d had. Instead, she switched on her camera and continued on with her journalism project, documenting the weird of Silas.

“Afternoon, gentle viewers. Today has not been a good day for me, but surprisingly, for once, that has nothing to do with any of the weird things happening at Silas. For once, it’s just life giving me lemons for the day. There has been no more news on the library catalog, or anything, really. It has been oddly peaceful for once, but I’m sure that just means something big is going to happen soon.” Laura paused and thought about if there’s anything else she wanted to talk about. “Well, I think that’s the update for today. If this lull keeps up I may have to manufacture my own excitement.” She ended the video and leaned back in the chair with a sigh. She swiveled around, prepared for a night of cookies and reading, only to find her bed already occupied. The cat was lying right in the middle of her clashy yellow pillow.

Laura shook her head slightly and laughed.  _Whatever works for warmth_ , she guessed. Finishing her cocoa, she got up from her chair and put her dirty mug into the kitchen area, taking out a package of cookies in exchange. She turned and looked between the two beds. She considered resting in Betty’s bed, but she wouldn’t feel right doing that without asking permission first. So, she walked over to her bed and sat down as gently as she could, trying not to stir the cat. It didn’t work. The cat opened one eye to look at Laura, got up, stretched, and moved off to the side of the pillow, making room for her. Laura was almost compelled to say thank you, but she merely smiled.

Settling down in her bed she took her book out from the headboard and replaced it with the container of cookies. She opened up to the page she left off in her book and began reading, always aware of the bundle of fur near her head. She had been reading for about a half an hour when the black pile of fur got up and stretched a bit. Laura could feel the cat looking at her, but she just kept scanning the book. After a few minutes the cat moved around to rest on top of Laura’s stomach. Laura couldn’t help but smile at the slight pressure increase on her stomach as she read. She reached backward and grabbed a cookie, eating it while reading.

It was a couple more minutes before the cat started to nudge at Laura’s hands with its paw. She laughed and dropped the book to her chest, looking down and catching the cat’s eyes. It’s eyes must have been what made it so compelling, Laura thought. Its eyes were definitely those of a cat, but they seemed to hold knowledge and emotion like those of a human. Laura smiled and lifted her hand in front of the cat. The cat immediately began rubbing against her hand, so Laura began softly stroking its fur. Picking up her book with her free hand, Laura subconsciously continued petting the cat as she read. 

Laura assumed she had fallen asleep while reading, not an uncommon thing for her to do, last night when she woke up to the sun filling the room and the book resting against her chest. The only thing different was the weight on her stomach, or the lack thereof. She placed her book back on the shelf in her headboard and looked around for the cat. Her search came up empty handed. She scratched her head in wonder of where the cat went when it was apparent it was no longer in her room. She glanced at her sleeping roommate; maybe Betty saw it and took it back outside because of the rule. Laura felt her heart constrict at the thought and immediately wanted to set out to find the cat, but a glance at her clock told her that she couldn’t; she had class. Laura got ready and got dressed, promising herself, and the cat, that she would look for it after class.

Lit passed by excruciatingly slow when all Laura could worry about was a black cat that she didn’t even own. As soon as class was over she bolted out of the room, barely managing to throw a ‘talk to you later’ to Danny. Laura considered where the cat might be and decided to take the same path she did yesterday. She walked at a brisk pace which worked with keeping her pretty warm. Laura soon approached the spot where she first saw the cat, the evidence of her kick still visible in the snow. She looked around but didn’t see any fresh looking paw prints, only human foot prints. She searched up and down the path until her nose turned red and went numb. She sighed and decided to call it quits for the day, heading back to her room.

As soon as she entered her room she made cocoa, changed into warmer clothes, and wrapped her blanket around herself. She sat in front of her computer and opened up a new fan fiction that she had been reading; so far it was really good. Just when she was about to really get into it, she heard a scratching sound. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked around the room, trying to figure out where it came from. After she heard the scratching sound again she pinpointed it to the window. She quickly placed her cocoa down onto her desk and hopped up from her chair, making her way over to the window, expecting to find a branch rubbing against it or something. What Laura did not expect to see was the cat.

 She quickly opened the window and the cat jumped inside, shaking off the snowflakes on its fur. Laura closed the window again in order to keep the warm air in and stared, open mouthed at the cat. One day in her dorm room and it already knew its way there? That was pretty remarkable. The cat made itself at home and jumped up onto Laura’s bed, turning and looking at her expectantly. Laura sighed and made her way over to her bed, how could she deny this cute cat? She sat on the edge of the bed and pet the cat before getting completely under her covers. “You know I went out looking for you today because I was worried when you didn’t show up earlier. I guess I had nothing to worry about seeing as you know your way here already. I have to wonder though, how did you get out of the room earlier?” Laura looked down at the cat, but it simply rubbed against her arm and purred. Laura laughed and grabbed her book, repeating what she did the night before.

And so, a kind of routine started. Laura would wake up alone, go to class, come back from class, rest a little bit, hear the scratching on the window, let the cat in, watch Netflix or read while cuddling with the cat until she fell asleep, and repeat. It happened every day for weeks and soon became the highlight of Laura’s day, but one day the cat didn’t come. As the hours passed without the cat scratching at the window, Laura became more and more nervous. After feeling like she couldn’t wait another second, Laura grabbed her coat, got dressed for the cold weather, and headed out.

With no name to call out, Laura started to just survey the areas all around, but specifically trees and bushes. It was by using this tactic that Laura managed to run directly into another person. “Hey, watch it.” Laura turned to face the person and immediately started planning out her apology, but her words died in her throat when she saw who she had run into. The girl was gorgeous; she had dark brown hair and piercing brown eyes that contrasted her beautiful fair skin. Her eyes seemed red and Laura did not know whether or not it was because of the cold or because she had been crying. Laura, in all her staring, failed to notice the fond look that briefly crossed the other girl’s face before it went neutral again.

A cough from the other girl brought Laura back into reality and she immediately started apologizing. “I am  _so_ sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going because I was looking for this dumb cat that had me worried because it didn’t come visit me today—And I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this. Sorry, again.”

The other girl smirked at Laura’s rambling. “It’s fine, don’t even worry about it, cupcake.”

Laura smiled briefly and extended her hand. “I’m Laura, by the way.”

The other girl looked at Laura’s hand for a moment before taking it. “Carmilla.” Laura shivered, but she was sure it was just from the cold and definitely  _not_ from the other girl’s voice. Carmilla slowly dropped Laura’s hand after a few seconds and stuffed her hands in her pockets. “So, it seems like you care about this cat quite a bit to go through this much trouble for it.” Laura shrugged.

“I guess so…I accidentally kicked some snow on it during a bad day I was having a couple weeks ago and it has kind of been my buddy ever since.” Carmilla’s mouth quirked up into a smile at Laura’s explanation and she tried to discreetly rub her cheeks free of tear tracks from earlier. Laura noticed the action and bit her lip as she contemplated what to do. Laura didn’t know her, but just by the way she carried herself Laura could tell that she probably wasn’t the type of person who would ever really admit to crying. “So…” Laura started before she could stop herself, “since I feel really bad about running into you, and since it’s really cold out this evening I was wondering if you wanted to have some hot cocoa back at my dorm.” Her words blended together, but by the smirk that appeared on Carmilla’s face Laura knew that she had heard.

“Geez, cutie. You move quickly.” Laura’s face turned redder than it already was from the cold. She was about to offer up a fumbling and most likely embarrassing response when Carmilla beat her to it. “I would like that very much. Lead the way.” Carmilla motioned for Laura to start walking and Laura grinned before heading back toward her dorm. Despite Carmilla telling Laura to lead the way, Laura noticed that Carmilla was walking evenly with her and sometimes started turning down the right path before Laura even told her to.

The walk took a couple of minutes and was filled with a comfortable silence. It was actually nice not feeling required to fill the silence; it was how she felt with the cat. Laura furrowed her brow at the thought. Sure, she was worried about the cat still, but she didn’t know why that comparison popped into her head. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she walked into her dorm building, holding open the door for Carmilla to walk through. “I’m on the third floor.” Carmilla nodded and said something under her breath that Laura couldn’t catch before climbing the stairs, Laura slightly staggered behind her.

When they reached the third floor Laura moved around Carmilla and led her to her room. “This is me, 307.” She opened the door and let Carmilla in, but she heard her name being whispered down the hall. She peeked her head down the hall to see Lafontaine leaning against Perry’s, now opened, door frame. “What?” Laura whisper-yelled back to them. They pointed at Laura, then to Laura’s dorm room, and then gave her a big thumbs up and a wink. Laura’s face reddened again and she waved them off before swinging back into her room, closing her door.

Laura turned and noticed two things; the first, that Betty wasn’t there, probably because she was studying somewhere, and the second that Carmilla was gingerly sitting on her bed, taking off her coat.  Laura quickly followed suit before making two cups of cocoa. Carmilla draped her coat on the back of Laura’s computer chair before returning to her seat on the bed. Laura considered sitting on the bed, but decided to take the safest option and sat in her chair, handing Carmilla her cocoa as she did. “So, Carmilla, what’s your major?”

“Philosophy,” she answered as she nursed her cocoa. “And let me guess…” She looked Laura up and down a few times before answering; Laura started to fidget under her gaze. “You’re undeclared at the moment, but you are starting to lean toward journalism.” She took another sip when she was finished speaking and Laura’s mouth dropped open.

“How did you know that?”

“I have my methods.” Her answer was vague and mysterious, so Laura continued to stare at her until she elaborated. “I’ve seen your videos, cupcake.” It wasn’t a complete lie; she had seen Laura make the videos a couple times.

“Oh,” Laura nodded and closed her mouth, “Right. I wasn’t sure anyone really watched them.” She ran a hand through her hair nervously and laughed lightly.

“They’re thought provoking, who knew there was so much weird going on at Silas?” Carmilla raised an eyebrow and sipped her cocoa to hide her smirk after what she just said.

Laura leaned forward, eager to jump onto this topic. “Oh, I know right!” Laura dove right in and started burning through the different weirds of Silas. Laura was the one steering the conversation and Carmilla just nodded and added her input where she wanted. After finishing a conversation on the mysteries of the swim team, Laura looked at the time on her computer and gasped. “Oh my goodness! I didn’t know it was this late!” It was only 11:47, but still. Laura glanced at the window (still no cat) and sighed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to take up so much your time.”

“Oh no, it’s fine; I enjoyed the company.” Laura beamed at that and Carmilla smiled. For a few moments they simply looked at each other with bated breath. Laura jumped out of her chair when she was afraid that she’d do something she’d regret. She walked over to the kitchen area and put her mug onto the counter. She thought she heard Carmilla laugh, but when she turned around Carmilla was putting on her coat. “I’d better head out now,” she walked over to Laura and handed Laura back the mug, “thanks for the cocoa.”

Laura nodded, “Yeah. Yeah, no problem!” She followed Carmilla to the door. “Maybe we could…see each other again sometime?”

Carmilla turned to face Laura. “It might be sooner than you think.” Before Laura could respond to the cryptic answer, Carmilla leaned in to whisper in Laura’s ear. “Thanks for making my night, cutie.” She pulled back just enough to plant a light kiss on Laura’s cheek then turned heel and walked down the hall. Laura, while smiling, raised her hand to her cheek, and stood frozen in place until she heard scratching. She blinked and returned to her room, shutting the door behind her. It only took her a moment to figure out where the scratching was coming from, and she hurried over to open the window.

The black cat hopped into her room and immediately jumped up onto her bed. Laura closed the window again before she gathered up her pajamas and changed in the bathroom. She moved to sit on her bed that still had the residual smell of Carmilla, turning off the light before she lay down. As soon as she was comfortable, the cat settled onto her stomach and Laura fell into the regular petting routine. “Where were you today?” She looked down at the cat and was answered only with purring. “I was worried and I went out looking for you, but then I met someone…I guess you would call it that.” Laura sighed and looked at the ceiling, momentarily lifting her hand to her cheek once again before it resumed its petting. “We have so much to talk about tonight.”  Laura didn’t see the fond and knowing look the cat was giving her as she rambled on about this gorgeous woman she had met earlier.


End file.
